


Saviour

by moonwillow27458



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Character Death, Panic Attacks, Teenagers, runaways - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 07:47:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5448839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonwillow27458/pseuds/moonwillow27458
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Charlie runs away from The Home, she is alone in the world. That is until she finds Bela - a fellow runaway - driving down the street. Although they first part ways, they are still drawn to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saviour

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for sapphicas' and holyhael's [ Femslash Secret Santa. ](http://sapphicas.tumblr.com/tagged/sfhge15) I want to thank them both for how much hard work and effort they've put into this for us <3
> 
> I'm sorry if this seems a little rushed, I've been focused on my AS mocks at college so I've been really busy lately (and I've got another two more secret santa's to do lol, at least it's the holidays)

Charlie panted, leaning against the mossy wall of the alleyway. If she was lucky, she had at least eight hours before the social workers found she was gone. By then, she would be far, far away. At least, she hoped. Maybe she’s even get out of state before anyone started looking. Taking another large gulp of air, Charlie shook herself and started running again.

It was another twenty minutes before she made herself stop, lungs burning and throat dry. It wasn’t possible for her to run further, but there were still cars out. Even in the dead dark of night, someone had to stop for her at some point. Charlie didn’t even care if whoever picked her up was a pervert, so long as she got away from the home, from the deaths, from Celeste Middleton and her crappy life.

Standing at the edge of the highway, Charlie waited for something to pass.

Cars, trucks, vans drove past her, but no one picked her up. Each time a pair of lights rolled past, a little bit of hope escaped her heart. It didn’t take long before she gave up, collapsing at the side of the road. She hugged her back pack close, promising herself she would only be down for twenty minutes, that she was just taking a break. It was a lie. Every part of her knew it was a lie. In the morning, she’d be dragged back to the home by the police.

A sob had caught in her throat, on the verge of spitting out, when a car pulled up in front of her. It was a small red thing, obviously inexpensive but it was a saviour. Charlie scrambled up to stand, hoping whoever was there would help her in any way. The door of the car swung open, revealing an empty passenger seat, and a girl not much older than Charlie driving.

"You getting in?" The girl implored, patting the seat in an inviting way. The heat from inside the car hit Charlie in the face, and before she could even consider the possibility this girl was a mass murderer, Charlie found herself clambering in. The girl had a warm smile on her face, impossibly white teeth shining in the dome light. "Where're you headed?"

The car set off, Charlie just buckling her seatbelt in before lurching forwards. The girl was facing the road, but was clearly still watching Charlie's face. It took a minute for her to realise the girl was expecting an answer. Charlie thought for a second before speaking.

"Anywhere outside the state," she muttered watching the road pass by. Nodding, the girl began to drive quicker, trees and asphalt speeding past. They didn't speak for a long time, the only sound heard was the whirring of the engine. Charlie considered turning on the radio, but the girl seemed to be distracted enough without the radio to detract her even more.

The girl didn't stop until they reached a traffic light. When the car had halted completely, she turned to Charlie.

"So, what're you running from, Kiddo?" She questioned, studying Charlie's face intently. Charlie shifted uncomfortably, hoping that she hadn't been found out. Holding her breath, she stared back.

"How did you-" she started, but the girl waved her off.

"It takes one to know one," the girl shrugged simply. Above them, the red light flashed from red to amber to green, and the girl turned to face the road again. With a tight smile on her face, she set off.

"What's your name?" Charlie found the courage to speak out, coughing slightly as her voice wavered. The girl raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything for a few minutes. Eventually, she sighed.

"Bela... Bela Talbot," she smiled gently. "You?"

"Cele- Charlie Bradbury," Charlie stuttered, hiding her blush behind a curtain of red hair.

After that, neither spoke for a long time. Bela drove until her eyes started to droop, until she was yawning more than breathing. It was clear that she didn't want to stop, but Charlie pointed out every motel turn off until Bela got the hint. When an neon sign came into sight, flashing 'Bluebell Motel: Vacancy', Bela pulled up into the car park.

The room they bought wasn't the cleanest, but it would do. They got two separate beds, no kitchenette, an en-suite bathroom with the small wad of cash Bela had tucked in her arm. Charlie tried to protest her buying the room, but Bela had none of it. In the end, they made a deal that Charlie would pay gas money.

As soon as she reached the bed, Bela collapsed, face first. Her make up wiped off onto the floral pillowcase, but Bela didn't even notice, only burying her face into the pillow even more. Charlie snickered at her, but soon felt herself yawning too. She undressed until she was only wearing her T-shirt and her underwear. 

She crawled into the empty bed, curling under the thin bedsheets. They were nowhere near warm enough to keep her from shivering. Teeth chattering, Charlie shuffled about until she got warm, but the heat soon escaped her skin. She sighed. Despite the tiredness aching in her bones, Charlie wouldn't be able to sleep.

"If you're going to be so loud, just get into bed with me," Bela muttered through gritted teeth. Charlie paused for a second, wondering if she'd heard right, but a chill ran down her spine and she leapt into Bela's bed.

Bela wrapped an arm around Charlie's waist, pulling her close so they were spooning. Her chin rested in Charlie's shoulder, hair tickling Charlie's cheek - though she was so warm Charlie couldn't bare to move. Snuggling even closer to Bela, Charlie soon felt herself falling asleep.

"You're really thin," Bela mumbled tiredly, and Charlie could feel fingers running down her rib cage.

"That's the American fostering system for you," Charlie bit back, the arms on her hair stood up as another chill ran through her. Bela shushed her, whispering gentle words into her ear until she fell asleep.

When they woke up in the morning - Bela first and Charlie soon after - they didn't talk. Charlie thought they should, but Bela's tight lips decided otherwise. They packed, they got in the car, they left. Bela dropped Charlie at the first bus station outside the state. There was no exchange of phone number, Charlie didn't even know where Bela was headed. She supposed in the long run it wouldn't matter - they'd soon forget about each other - but her head was still reeling with the loss of her friend. Looking back at the little red car pulling away from the parking lot, Charlie bought a ticket and ignored her heavy heart.

 

Despite what she thought, Charlie couldn't stop thinking about Bela. 

She sat at a bar of a diner, the waitress occasionally coming across and pouring her coffee. There was a TV on the wall playing the news, something about an earthquake in the Ozarks. She ignored it, choosing to down the coffee in front of her instead. As she placed her mug on the table, she heard a low hum from the waitress. Charlie looked up to see a new news report on the screen.

"It's sad, isn't it?" The waitress, her tag read Doris, replied. Charlie glanced to her, hoping she would explain, which she did when she felt Charlie's eyes on her. "That poor girl's been missing for two weeks! Who knows where she is, who she's with!" 

Doris' eyes were trained to the TV, and Charlie followed them to find a picture of herself on screen. It was one from before the crash, where her hair was slightly more ginger than red and she had hope in her eyes. She scoffed at the little girl, at what she thought life would be like back then. Doris turned back to Charlie, offering her a refill on her coffee, though she began to peer curiously at Charlie as she did so.

"You know you look an awful lot like that girl," she mused, staring straight at Charlie. She began to blush, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. The woman shrugged and shuffled away, another patron snapping his fingers to grab her attention.

As soon as Doris' back was turned, Charlie ran for a quick get-away. If Doris realised she was really Celeste Middleton, she would be in a shit-ton of trouble. Charlie weaved through the tables, pulling her single back back onto her shoulder, and darted through the open door. At the edge of the car park, Charlie saw a flash of mousy brown hair, a tan trenchcoat, something familiar. She ran to the parking lot from the door, hope of seeing Bela bubbling in her stomach. 

Only, when she reached the edge of the car park, there was no one there. Not even Bela's little red car.

With a sigh, Charlie began to walk down the free way. The sounds of cars driving past blocked out the sadness building inside Charlie. If she couldn't think about Bela, then she couldn't feel lonely. She kept it up until she reached a gas station a couple of miles from the diner. 

Charlie trudged into the truck stop bathroom and cut her hair with her penknife. It fell unevenly around her shoulders, making her virtually unrecognisable to the smiling teenager the media was spreading around. It would keep her safe for another couple of weeks, at least.

 

Charlie had outgrown her fringe by the time she saw Bela again. She stumbled into the motel lobby, tired eyes barely seeing the person stood in front of her until she walked straight into the woman's back. She turned around to yell at Charlie, but began to squeal with excitement. It took a second for Charlie's brain to catch up, but she soon recognised the face.

"Bela?" Charlie muttered, bag dropping from her shoulder to the floor. "God I've missed you so much."

"Same," Bela smiled, pulling Charlie into a hug. Charlie had grown a few inches since their last meeting, and was taller than Bela, who looked mildly disgruntled at the fact. "You changed your hair."

"I know, there's pictures of me on the news," Charlie whispered into Bela's shoulder. "I didn't want to risk being caught. I had to." Bela placed a finger under Charlie's chin and pulled up her face so they were looking each other in the eye. Slowly, Bela leaned forward and kissed Charlie on the lips - hesitantly at first but then when Charlie kissed back she pressed more deeply.

Charlie's eyes were still closed when Bela pulled away. When they fluttered open, Bela had a wide grin on her face.

"I like it," she muttered, twisting a delicate finger through Charlie's choppy locks.

From behind the counter, the motel manager coughed aggressively, catching both girl's attentions. Bela smiled sweetly, and asked to upgrade her room to a double. Though the man rolled his eyes, he retreated to his computer and tapped something out before handing her a new key. Linking her arm with Charlie's, Bela pulled them to a room close to the main desk.

Both girls dumped their bags beside the door. As soon as it slammed shut behind them, Charlie shuffled over to the bed, jumping on it while Bela watched with raised eyebrows. Charlie shrugged, rolling around in the soft bedsheets. Having spent the last few nights sleeping in toilets and bars, a bed was welcomed no matter how lumpy the mattress was. Bela's jaw jutted slightly, but it gave way to a fond smile as she joined Charlie in the bed.

"I shouldn't have dropped you off," Bela admitted, taking hold of Charlie's hand. Gently, she stroked a thumb over the back of Charlie's hand. "I'm sorry. I haven't stopped thinking about you."

"Me neither," Charlie breathed out. She leaned in to kiss Bela again, desperate for as much contact as possible. Bela gingerly pulled her away, green eyes blinking sweetly at Charlie.

"Not yet," Bela panted, reaching down to grab Charlie's other hand too. Nodding, Charlie settled back down on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Bela untangled her fingers for a second, grabbing the remote on the bedside table and flicking it to a random channel. 

It was some sort of hospital drama, not something Charlie was interested in. She'd spent enough time in hospital to realise it wasn't an interesting place like Dr Sexy or ER might suggest. Hospitals were sad and lonely and full of hopeless hopefuls. Charlie drowned out the sound of the life support from the age old speakers, focusing only on Bela's breathing. She fell asleep leaning on Bela's shoulder.

"Charlie! Charlie your face is on the news!" Bela yelled, pulling Charlie from her nap. Curiously, she glanced up at the fuzzy TV screen, seeing the stupid photo of her on the news again. She turned the volume up to see what they were saying about her. Apparently discussing a security tape of her at a convenience store.

"Shit," she muttered. "Shit! We gotta go!" Charlie leapt up from the bed and began looking around for her jacket. Bela frowned.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned, muting the news report. 

"Bela, they know what I look like, they know I'm in this state!" Charlie began to hyperventilate. She threw Bela's hold-all at her. "I can't go back - I can't... I... Please I-" Charlie fell back against the wall, hot tears rolling down his cheek. Her breath hitched as her lungs tried to pull in air, but the panic lumped in her throat stopped her from breathing. She was vaguely aware that Bela was knelt beside her, rubbing her back and hushing her.

"Charlie, breathe - please," Bela whispered, patting Charlie's back gently. "We can go, we can leave right now. The motel manager doesn't know who I am, I used a fake name and everything." 

Charlie blinked away the tears, mind finally clearing. She nodded, pushing herself up despite her dizziness. They had to leave as soon as possible, she had no time for panic attacks. Hastily, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door, waiting only for Bela to grab her bag and switch off the TV before leaving.

Bela lead the way to her car, the same little red thing Charlie first met her in. It brought a smile to her face to see something so familiar. It was the closest Charlie had to a home since leaving the hospital. They clambered into each side of the car, and Charlie ran her hand over the plastic dashboard. Bela smiled fondly at Charlie's quirks, before starting the car and pulling out of the motel.

"You said you couldn't go back?" Bela asked a few minutes away from the motel. Charlie sighed, resting her knees on the dashboard.

"To the Home. I can't go back to the home," Charlie muttered dejectedly. Bela bit her lip, driving a little faster. "I can't live as a product of the damn state! I just wanted my parents, you know? But they're gone. I couldn't live there." Charlie was crying, but neither of them mentioned it.

Before long, Charlie had drifted back up into a tense sleep, Bela continuing to drive until the convenience store was miles away.

 

The car came to a halt outside an apartment complex, Charlie having woken up a couple of minutes before then. Her brow furrowed in confusion as Bela rolled up. The apartments seemed nice, a lot nicer than the motels they had been staying in. As Bela cut the engine off, Charlie turned to face her with an expression of confusion.

"Why are we stopping here?" Charlie asked, yawning slightly.

"I rented an apartment," Bela replied, unbuckling her seatbelt. Charlie's jaw hung open, shocked about how nonchalant Bela was being. 

"Okay how the Hell do you get your money?" Charlie laughed.

"I procure specialist items for a select clientèle," Bela shrugged. Charlie rolled her eyes.

"You steal stuff and sell it on? Is that where you go on a night?" She questioned, eyebrows raised just an inch. 

Bela placed a hand on her heart, mock offended. "Well how do you make your money?"

"The old fashioned way," Charlie replied, a sweet smile on her face. "Credit card fraud." Reaching into her bag, Charlie reached into the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out a Marvel print wallet. In her wallet, there was a credit card with the name 'Carrie Heinlein' tucked into the first slot. Bela didn't look impressed by it.

Shaking her head, Bela climbed out of her car leaving Charlie sat in her seat. Hastily, she put her wallet away so she could catch up with Bela, who was halfway to the doorway. The building looked even bigger when Charlie looked up from the entrance, and Charlie had a feeling of vertigo settle in her stomach. Bela waved at the doorman as she headed upstairs, Charlie quick to follow.

The apartment was big, bigger than Charlie expected. There was one bedroom, Bela told her, and it was already furnished with a queen sized bed. The rest of the apartment was pretty empty, barely any furniture and only three bags between them. 

With nothing else to do, Charlie and Bela moved to the bed. They curled up around each other, Bela tangling her fingers in Charlie's hair, which had grown to chest length, and Charlie wrapping her arm around Bela's slim waist. They occasionally leaned in to place a kiss on the other, but never further than that; Bela was uncomfortable with much else. 

"I'm glad I picked you up that day," Bela said, gazing into Charlie's eyes. Charlie hummed in agreement, cuddling closer to Bela. "I don't know where I'd be without you. When I ran away, I had no purpose, just wanted to get as west as possible. But you saved me, I think."

"You saved me too, you know?" Charlie bit her lip. "I was ready to give up when you picked me up. Thank you." There were tears in both their eyes as they spoke, knowing that it was the truth.

They didn't have much, but they had each other - and Charlie thought that was good enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I really hope you liked it!! 
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this, and I can't wait for more challenges
> 
> This was unbeta'd so sorry for any mistakes :)


End file.
